Main menu

Day of reckoning is here for the first U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas

November 11, 2012

Circuit of Americas near Austin, Texas, opens for business this week for the Fomula One United States Grand Prix. Photo by Circuit of the Americas

When the green flag finally falls on the Formula One United States Grand Prix Nov. 18 at Circuit of the Americas outside Austin, Texas, it marks the beginning of what F1 fans hope—finally—is a permanent home for the world's most popular form of motorsport in the only major market where it has never found a toehold.

COTA was the vision of Tavo Hellmund, who was introduced to F1 and its boss, Bernie Ecclestone, when Hellmund's father promoted races in Mexico. Like so many aspiring race drivers, Hellmund moved to Europe, hoping to someday end up in F1, and like so many, failed to reach his goal. But he spent much of his time in Europe with family friend Ecclestone, cementing a relationship which, in the end, made COTA possible.

Unlike most U.S. racetracks, COTA's construction was contingent on striking a deal with Ecclestone to bring the series back to the U.S. after a stint at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2000-2007. Hellmund was a visionary in his assertion that Austin was the perfect place, which seemed to the rest of the motorsports world to be folly: Was it even possible that Austin, the greenest, most liberal major city in Texas, would welcome a racetrack? And is Austin enough of a destination city to attract F1 fans?

The answers: Yes, no and maybe. Yes, the track was built, a gorgeous 3.4-mile road course just southeast of the city in nearby Elroy, Texas. And no, it wasn't without opposition, at times significant. And will fans continue to come once the excitement of the inaugural season fades, or will crowds taper as they did during F1's run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway between 2000-2007? Maybe. This year, though, weekend attendance could hit 120,000 or more. The investors behind COTA's construction certainly hope to see a six-digit attendance figure—and the revenue that will come with it—given the more than $400 million the project has cost to date and before any cars have raced there.

Unfortunately for Hellmund, he was not able to see his dream to completion. He became the odd man out in the key three-man partnership, the other two being a previously low-profile financier named Bobby Epstein and a very high-profile Texas billionaire named Billy Joe “Red” McCombs. Hellmund sued, an agreement was reached, money changed hands, and COTA was left to a team with little motorsports experience that has managed to ride the momentum.

Bottom line: With the race in Austin, F1 gets what may be its last, best shot in the U.S., on a brand-new circuit during one of the series' most competitive seasons in years. Is it enough? We'll get a good idea this month, a better idea in November 2013 and likely confirmation of its long-term potential, one way or the other, in 2014.

Editor's note:Headed to Austin for this week's United States Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas? Watching from home? Either way, Autoweek has you covered all week long with exclusive content focused on F1's return to the U.S. Check back daily to keep up to speed on all the happenings, and everything you need to know—news, features and opinions—ahead of the season's penultimate race.